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Windy conditions cause beach fire to spread south of Campbell River

Highway 19A acted as fire break, allowing crews to contain Monday afternoon fire
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Campbell River fire crews attended a brush fire south of Campbell River on May 9. Mirror file photo

High winds caused a beach fire to get out of control south of Campbell River on Monday (May 9) afternoon.

Multiple 911 calls came in early afternoon on Monday about a brush fire near Highway 19A in the Shelter Point area.

“Fire crews from both of our fire stations responded and reported a ground fire approximately 50 feet by 40 feet burning along the east side of the highway between the beach and the road,” said fire chief Thomas Doherty. “The crews were able to contain it quickly.”

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According to a tweet sent out by the fire department on Monday, the highway prevented the fire from spreading, acting as a fire guard.

“The cause of the fire was by a person attempting to start a beach fire, and a piece of paper that was lit on fire blew into a grass area and the fire took off,” Doherty said. “There was a steady breeze coming off the water which also contributed to the fast spread of the fire.”

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marc.kitteringham@campbellrivermirror.com

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Marc Kitteringham

About the Author: Marc Kitteringham

I joined Campbell River Mirror in early 2020, writing about the environment, housing, local government and more.
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